Poll: Is the Media treating LeBron's loss as if the NBA Playoffs are over?

[coco]

All I hear is LeBron loss...YaDaYaDa.  There is absolutly nothing about the teams still standing.  I know it will go away in a couple of days (..about Sunday), but gee, it is getting old. 

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Well, yes they are....he isn't jordon, or larry, or magic, or even kobe....kobe and all the rest there have a great jump shot, very dependable...lbj is like a ferrari, no lane, no game, no passing and no shot...he can really only get it done when he finds a lane..!

   There hasn't been one word about Pheonix and LA, which is going to be interesting, no word about all those fools who said the C's are going to lose...did Barkley recant yet....? And Lebrons injury, well, like i said b4, EVERY player, at this time of year, has injuries, sore spots, at least 2 bad fingers, knee pain after the game....heck after i play i have to walk down the stairs backwards for a day or 2.....

   LBJ is good, but he has more to learn before he goes to the next level, larry, MJ, and Magic always had some #'s after a game, assists, usually great ones, rebounds, D, and if they only got a few hoops, they usually were at the right time...! Their HEART showed the rest of their team that you can do a lot without scoring, if you stay with it, and it is in you...!

[ibby]

As a Celtics fan I am elated, as a fan of the NBA I am worried.  From now until he resigns with Cleveland (or signs elsewhere or is signed-and-traded) talk of where LeBron will go is bound to overshadow all else in the NBA.  Including the playoffs, the champion, and the draft (which looks to be deep this year).

[guava_wrench]

Nah. They are just infatuated with his free agency, and that is all that is left for him with his team out. There is also no basketball being played at the moment.

Once the next round begins, the Lebron story will cool down.

[PosImpos]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

[Who]

The main story today was LeBron's failures and how/if it alters his free agency plans. The Cavs were a main favourite and they fell, fell early. That is going to garner to a lot of attention especially with how it happened and with LeBron's off kilter performances.

This only happened yesterday ... give it a day or two and a lot of the attention will switch back onto the remaining playoff teams.

[FallGuy]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Is this actually true?

Seems like there are a few kinds of people with regards to how much attention they pay to the NBA.

1) No attention at all.
2) Very casual - would watch Kobe/Lebron or Lakers/Celtics....... but not Magic/Suns.
3) Fan of specific team - will watch until favorite team is no longer relevant. Might watch finals regardless.
4) Hardcore NBA fan - watches all the way through even if their team has been ousted.

My guess is most Boston fans are #3.

And I'm betting that the smallest group is #2. Do they really have that much impact on the ratings?

Maybe I'm out to lunch on this...

[Toine43]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Is this actually true?

Seems like there are a few kinds of people with regards to how much attention they pay to the NBA.

1) No attention at all.
2) Very casual - would watch Kobe/Lebron or Lakers/Celtics....... but not Magic/Suns.
3) Fan of specific team - will watch until favorite team is no longer relevant. Might watch finals regardless.
4) Hardcore NBA fan - watches all the way through even if their team has been ousted.

My guess is most Boston fans are #3.

And I'm betting that the smallest group is #2. Do they really have that much impact on the ratings?

Maybe I'm out to lunch on this...

Number 2 is by far the largest and most important group. Sports are built off casual fans - they're where the money is made. Casual fans are why there is such a huge difference in attendance when a team is winning. Casual fans are the difference between good and poor ratings. Group 3 is much smaller than group 2, and group 4 is much smaller than group 3. If it were the opposite, the NBA wouldn't have to work to sell its brand, which we all know they do harder than anyone:

[FallGuy]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Is this actually true?

Seems like there are a few kinds of people with regards to how much attention they pay to the NBA.

1) No attention at all.
2) Very casual - would watch Kobe/Lebron or Lakers/Celtics....... but not Magic/Suns.
3) Fan of specific team - will watch until favorite team is no longer relevant. Might watch finals regardless.
4) Hardcore NBA fan - watches all the way through even if their team has been ousted.

My guess is most Boston fans are #3.

And I'm betting that the smallest group is #2. Do they really have that much impact on the ratings?

Maybe I'm out to lunch on this...

Number 2 is by far the largest and most important group. Sports are built off casual fans - they're where the money is made. Casual fans are why there is such a huge difference in attendance when a team is winning. Casual fans are the difference between good and poor ratings. Group 3 is much smaller than group 2, and group 4 is much smaller than group 3. If it were the opposite, the NBA wouldn't have to work to sell its brand, which we all know they do harder than anyone:

You're probably right. In fact, I'm sure you are.

[GreenFaith1819]

Well..at least from a small sampling of Laker Fans on their Blog last night after our win, they are clamoring for us to beat ORL, so they can have an "Easier Time" with us.

They want Boston - for revenge (2007-08 still resonates with them), and because they see us as the Lesser Threat from ORL or CLE.

At least from their standpoint, they are still Very Interested in the playoffs. Maybe not so much for the casual fan?

[PosImpos]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Is this actually true?

Seems like there are a few kinds of people with regards to how much attention they pay to the NBA.

1) No attention at all.
2) Very casual - would watch Kobe/Lebron or Lakers/Celtics....... but not Magic/Suns.
3) Fan of specific team - will watch until favorite team is no longer relevant. Might watch finals regardless.
4) Hardcore NBA fan - watches all the way through even if their team has been ousted.

My guess is most Boston fans are #3.

And I'm betting that the smallest group is #2. Do they really have that much impact on the ratings?

Maybe I'm out to lunch on this...

A poll on ESPN.com asked fans whether they cared more about where LeBron ends up in the off-season or who wins the NBA Finals.

The vast majority picked the former, and the only states whose population mostly picked the latter option were the home states of the remaining teams.

[FallGuy]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Is this actually true?

Seems like there are a few kinds of people with regards to how much attention they pay to the NBA.

1) No attention at all.
2) Very casual - would watch Kobe/Lebron or Lakers/Celtics....... but not Magic/Suns.
3) Fan of specific team - will watch until favorite team is no longer relevant. Might watch finals regardless.
4) Hardcore NBA fan - watches all the way through even if their team has been ousted.

My guess is most Boston fans are #3.

And I'm betting that the smallest group is #2. Do they really have that much impact on the ratings?

Maybe I'm out to lunch on this...

A poll on ESPN.com asked fans whether they cared more about where LeBron ends up in the off-season or who wins the NBA Finals.

The vast majority picked the former, and the only states whose population mostly picked the latter option were the home states of the remaining teams.

I totally stand corrected on this one. And somewhat disappointed in the majority of fans, but I suppose I should have expected it.

[Roy Hobbs]

Nope.  They still have Kobe to salivate over.

I think the talking heads would explode with a Celtics / Suns series.

[rav123]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Is this actually true?

Seems like there are a few kinds of people with regards to how much attention they pay to the NBA.

1) No attention at all.
2) Very casual - would watch Kobe/Lebron or Lakers/Celtics....... but not Magic/Suns.
3) Fan of specific team - will watch until favorite team is no longer relevant. Might watch finals regardless.
4) Hardcore NBA fan - watches all the way through even if their team has been ousted.

My guess is most Boston fans are #3.

And I'm betting that the smallest group is #2. Do they really have that much impact on the ratings?

Maybe I'm out to lunch on this...

A poll on ESPN.com asked fans whether they cared more about where LeBron ends up in the off-season or who wins the NBA Finals.

The vast majority picked the former, and the only states whose population mostly picked the latter option were the home states of the remaining teams.

To be fair, option #1 has a bearing on possibly the next decade of NBA basketball, while option #2 only affects this year.

[Surferdad]

They're playing to their audience...and the truth is, most of the country stops paying attention once they see it's not going to be a Kobe vs. LeBron finals.

Bingo, NBA wanted Kobe vs. LeBron this year (and last year).  Kobe vs. Dwight is their consolation prize.  LA vs. BOS can be trumped up as a re-match for the ages.  Their worst nightmare at this point is PHO vs. BOS.

And yes, I do believe the NBA front office is in bed with the national media.